science fiction and fantasy stories plus nerdy cultural commentary

interactive fiction

Chat Libs is a ‘Mad Libs’ based activity over on our Twitch live stream. The audience suggests a scenario, I write a story template with missing words, and they fill in the holes. Hilarity ensues. If you wish to participate you can join us at twitch.tv/blainearcade

Scenario: A hula hooping contest with irregular-sized hoops

“You think you’re so bouncy? Watch this!” the man challenged his coworker. He lifted his college ring, topped with an expertly-cut piece of chewing gum, and spun it on the end of his finger. “I can do this for three millennia.” To prove his point he stood up from his cubicle, completely ignoring the ringing for his conference call with the head trophy wife, and started walking away. The ring never wobbled.Continue reading →

Regular Romp is an interactive fiction activity over on our Twitch stream where I ask a regular a series of questions before turning their answers and a corruption of their username into a short story. Stop by twitch.tv/blainearcade if you’d like to participate.

starring

Secksigeeki

He leaned over the edge of the boat, letting a rope of orange-stained drool drop into the sea and drift away. His name was Bob Badcork, and this was, if his stomach was telling the truth, the sixth time he was going to vomit that day.Continue reading →

Author’s Note: This story was written live on stream with the audience voting to determine the path of the story. The underlined phrases in the choice of three were the winning pathways. Stop by twitch.tv/blainearcade if you’d ever like to participate in our interactive fiction.

King of Horror Nutella Game Texan’s Rough Life

“Sire, you can’t remain in here all day,” Attendant Syrril said. She walked over to the king’s four poster bed and pulled back the curtain. The king was a young man, but the recent stresses had aged him noticeably. His dark eyes took a moment to focus on his loyal attendant’s face. She couldn’t even guess what he thought he was seeing: a ghost, an otherworldly ectoplasm, or perhaps some kind of giant speaking insect with an odd number of legs.Continue reading →

Author’s Note: This was written live on stream, with the tone being determined by the numbers under minesweeper tiles. The audience could bid tokens earned in stream to reveal random tiles. A mine hit results in the death of all characters, unless they are temporarily saved by a lump sum of tokens. If characters make it to the end of the stream, they survive to be seen another day. Join us at twitch.tv/blainearcade if you wish to participate.

1-peace 2-alert 3-escalation 4-action 5-tragedy 6-world-changing

The pips have rolled again, The conveying Minefield connects the Trap to a new world. Three enter, seeing only a shredded sky in the distance: Enoch the mood-swinging cartwheeler, Spleck the shoe shine polish dust bunny, and Moroot the unemployed depressed rutabaga.Continue reading →

Chat Libs is a ‘Mad Libs’ based activity over on our Twitch live stream. The audience suggests a scenario, I write a story template with missing words, and they fill in the holes. Hilarity ensues. If you wish to participate you can join us at twitch.tv/blainearcade

Scenario: A Self-driving Car Kidnaps its Passenger

A baker’s dozen wheels on the ground was the starting pistol of the experiment. The Jehoshaphat roadster model 2.0 was the first self-driving automobile cleared for blind street service, meaning customers just looking for a fast and color blind taxi had no idea it was a driverless wonder.Continue reading →

Author’s Note: This was written live on stream, with the tone being determined by the numbers under minesweeper tiles. The audience could bid tokens earned in stream to reveal random tiles. A mine hit results in the death of all characters, unless they are temporarily saved by a lump sum of tokens. If characters make it to the end of the stream, they survive to be seen another day. Join us at twitch.tv/blainearcade if you wish to participate.

1-peace 2-alert 3-escalation 4-action 5-tragedy 6-world-changing

The pips have rolled again. The conveying Minefield connects the Trap to a new world. Three enter, seeing only a shredded sky in the distance: Trevor the well-behaved child, Rargle the parody of rabies, and Flippers the lost and confused emperor penguin.Continue reading →

Regular Romp is an interactive fiction activity over on our Twitch stream where I ask a regular a series of questions before turning their answers and a corruption of their username into a short story. Stop by twitch.tv/blainearcade if you’d like to participate.

starring

TheWolfChkin

She hadn’t touched a coin in two years, so there was no money to purchase a mirror. She’d learned many skills in her isolation, but not how to blow glass or build the furnace she would need to do that in the first place. Wolfi Cheekin had only her tiny wooden house on the edge of the woods and the skills she brought with her the day she was cast out.Continue reading →